


There's Nothing Better

by potidaea



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Inaccuracies, Mental Health Issues, health crisis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 16:03:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20910341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potidaea/pseuds/potidaea
Summary: Hotch asks Emily and JJ to go shopping for Jack. It doesn't go so well. Originally written and posted on FF.net in 2008.





	There's Nothing Better

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr @ [kilyun.tumblr.com](http://kilyun.tumblr.com)
> 
> Find me on twitter @ [ki1yun](https://twitter.com/ki1yun)

The older agent ran into the bullpen, clearly stressed out.

"Hotch, what is it?" Asked the eldest female of the team.

"It's Jack."

"When did this happen? Have you talked to Strauss? We need to start working on a profile."

"Emily, Jack is fine."

"But you just said…"

"Christmas is coming up, and I can't find a gift…I've spent hours at the mall."

Emily grimaced, but JJ—the cause of her knowledge of such pain—practically jumped for joy, "Shopping? I'm in."

Hotch let out an understanding laugh, Haley dragged him along to the mall numerous times for no apparent reason, it was even worse when they had purpose. He sent the woman a sympathetic look, "I understand your pain, Prentiss."

"Pain? What kind of pain is in shopping?"

The two less enthused agents began listing, each stating one; the woman spoke first, "It kills your feet."

"You make us carry bags."

"I get rips in the blisters I get from carrying your bags."

"No, it's the purse…honestly, do all purses double as emergency kits? You've probably got a jack in there, just incase you get a flat tire on the way."

"Jayj, it's basically all around exhaustion."

She pouted, "You two are no fun."

Emily smirked, "I prefer reasonable, actually."

"You're lucky you've got the credit card, or else you'd be gone."

Emily let out an un-amused laugh, "Anyway, Hotch, what does Jack like nowadays?"

"He plays soccer, and if he doesn't do that, he's playing with his GIs."

"We can do that."

"What position is he?"

"Goalie."

"Okay."

"You'll definitely have gifts by the end of the day?"

"Definitely. We're going now?"

"Yeah, get out of here."

They ran to the car, both equally excited for the excursion that was sure to amuse their inner-children they had long since buried due to the harsh things they were witness to everyday.

First, they went into the sporting goods store, heading for the soccer section.

"Okay, so what are we looking for?"

"Soccer stuff."

"Yeah, I got that part JJ…what exactly classifies as 'soccer stuff'?"

The blonde just shot her a look as if to say, "If you don't know what it means, shut up."

A nice woman around her own age began to talk to Emily, "My son's the same way; I don't advise speaking."

A laugh, "Thank you for that."

Taking note of both agents' guns, "You two don't exactly look like this is normal routine."

"Oh, no, definitely not. Our boss couldn't find a gift for his son," A nod towards her girlfriend, "She's our resident soccer star, and I'm just the one with the credit card, and vast knowledge of GI Joes."

The two women looked on as the soccer ball that rested in JJ's arms fell, both amazed at the agility at which she caught it, and balanced it, on her foot.

"Jennifer, how the hell did you just do that?"

She smirked, dribbling the ball, "You didn't doubt my talent did you, baby?"

"Of course not."

"Good, 'cause if you said you did, you'd be stuck on the couch."

"Again, still the one with the credit card."

Mocking her girlfriend, "Again, still the one who has you wrapped around her finger."

"True, very true."

The younger agent began laughing at her partner's ease in admitting just how whipped she was, but cut herself off, dropping what had been resting precariously in her arms, and visibly paled at what she saw behind her lover.

"Jay, what's wrong?"

She pointed, mumbling out her reply.

The older agent yelled, "Who the hell let a dog in here? Let alone four!" Then, at normal volume as she held the trembling blonde in her arms, speaking to the woman she had conversed with to earlier, "Please, find someone and get those dogs out of here, and into the security office." The woman nodded, running to the nearest worker.

"Shh, Jennifer, it's fine, it'll be okay. I promise you. It's okay…everything is fine."

"No, no, it's not okay. It's not okay."

The terrified woman had reached her breaking point, passing out in her arms. As she held the limp woman in her arms, a kind boy who worked in the store brought over the nearest chair he could find so the blonde wouldn't get hurt.

Quickly thanking the young man, the worried agent pulled out her cell phone; re-dialing the most recent number she'd called at the BAU.

"This is Penelope Garcia and you've reached—"

"Not now, Garcia. I need you to get the footage from Dick's Sporting Goods at the mall. Somebody let four dogs in here, I don't care if Strauss let these fuckin' dogs in here; they walked past us on purpose!"

"Us? God, you're with JJ."

"Yes, Garcia and—"

"I'm sending the team there now…how is she?"

She paused, knowing that telling the woman would only impede her work, but she told her anyway; she was JJ's best friend, after all, "Unconscious."

"Oh, god, paramedics are on their way too."

"Thank you."

She hung up the phone, whispering to the woman before her, "Jennifer, wake up, come on, I can't pick out soccer stuff on my own," She placed a soft, loving kiss to the woman's forehead, "I don't even know what soccer stuff is, let alone what I would need to buy for a goalie." She stopped, needing to answer her phone, "Prentiss."

"Emily, its Morgan, we just pulled into the parking lot, we'll be right there."

"Okay," a pregnant pause filled the airwaves, "Morgan?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for coming."

"We're family; when one of us goes down, the rest of us stand where they stood and fight." The woman on the other end of the phone didn't respond, both of them knowing nothing more could be said, "Go take care of your girl, you'll be on the couch if you're on the phone when she wakes up."

With a light, painful laugh, she hung up, returning to her 'girl,' brushing the blonde hair off of her sickly pale face. "Baby…you need to wake up now…please, sweetie…I need you here. I love you."

A groan emitted from the woman as she came to, faintly hearing her girlfriend's pleas, she was only conscious for one short moment, once everything came rushing back, her body shut down again.

"God dammit, Tobias."

As she repeated that one phrase, occasionally with a little more of a colorful choice of words, her team arrived, along with paramedics. Derek Morgan was the first to let his presence be known, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. The team had never really seen the extent of Emily's emotions in any way; so when she turned around with tears streaming down her face, they were all substantially shocked.

Derek was the first to speak, his arms open, "Com'ere."

She buried her head into his shoulder, still cursing Tobias and his damn dogs.

"She'll be fine, Em, she's strong."

He continued comforting her as the other members of the team went off to do their part, but was cut off by the paramedic, "She's waking up."

Emily smiled, going to the other woman's side, just as she did that, though, the woman woke up—face-to-face with and unfamiliar man—letting out a blood-curdling scream.

"Ma'am, you need to calm down!"

She continued thrashing, "Get away from me!"

"Ma'am!"

"Get away from me, Tobias!"

Just as she said that, Morgan wrapped an arm around him from behind, pulling him away, "That's a federal agent, when she says to get away, you move as fast as you can. Understand?"

Emily placed a comforting hand on the trembling woman's cheek, "Jennifer, sweetie, it's me." There was no response, "JJ…Jay, it's me, Emily." Still no reply, "Shit, Derek, she's going into shock!" He released the paramedic, letting him go to help his friend.

"I need you to move so I can work, Ma'am."

She glared at him, "I don't need to do anything, kid. Just tell me what to do, and don't even think about touching her."

After rattling off everything she could do medically, he thought of something, "What's her favorite smell? Who's her best friend? Maybe a boyfriend?"

Looking at Derek, "Well, first off, she's going to want coffee; milk and two sugars," Pausing to smell her wrist, "Unless the bureau wants to pay for $2,000 perfume; take my keys, it's on the left side of the dresser in the master bedroom, send Garcia over, and," A solid glare at the paramedic, "she has a girlfriend."

"Right, sorry."

"Doesn't matter right now."

"Is there anyway we could bring those things to her?"

"I'll run and get your perfume, Garcia and the coffee."

"Her girlfriend?"

"Adsum."

"Is that close?"

She rolled her eyes, "No, that's Latin."

"Right, sorry."

Morgan had already went to get Garcia, the computer genius already running down the aisles to get to her best friend.

"Emily! Where are you?"

"Over here, Garcia," called out her tired voice, "in front of the wall with all the soccer stuff." She smiled lightly, realizing her use of the phrase 'soccer stuff' when she didn't even know the correct definition.

Soon the flamboyant woman reached her two friends, both of which were very much so in distress, the older of the two was just practiced at controlling it.

"How's our girl?"

She looked down, sad, "I don't know."

"JJ's too stubborn to leave you…plus, she still needs to make you pay for the other night." The brunette blushed, her silent reply answered by the woman, "Yes, she told me about that, I am the best friend after all."

She smiled, "I just wish she wouldn't bring our sex life into work, I mean, my mother speaks to Strauss regularly. I would really rather not have that conversation with the Ambassador."

The self proclaimed goddess grimaced, "Yeah, me neither…I've got to talk to her about that…or hack into her mother's computer and make some of the more scarring pictures her desktop. Little Miss Soccer Star is going to regret blabbing."

The young paramedic looked shocked, "Wait, you're her girlfriend?"

"I said that already."

"No, you said something in Latin."

Almost laughing at the paramedic's complete inability to realize the brunette was on the verge of breaking him in half and knowing her friend's random use of foreign words, Garcia spoke, "What'd she say? 'Adsum'?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Adsum means 'present,' kid."

"Oh, sorry."

Ceasing any further conversation, Garcia knelt next to Prentiss and began speaking to her unresponsive friend.

"JJ, I forgot to tell you, you know that ass you dated in college? Tom…Tim…something with a T in the beginning. Well, I accidentally…okay, on purpose, googled him last week, and it came up with an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer." She paused, laughing a bit, "He was sentenced 15-to-life in prison for killing a man while driving drunk. Though, it's really sad that the guy died, I couldn't help but laugh at the fact that your only venture into someone with a Y chromosome was that guy, of all people."

"Arrested? I didn't even understand the whole guy part, but wow…I love leverage."

"You're an evil seedy genius, Miss Prentiss…I love it."

As the two women continued their banter, only pausing when Morgan handed Emily the perfume, her keys, and JJ's coffee, then walking back to the rest of the team, the woman they were really there for, made some kind of noise, a groan, if you will.

Emily was the first to speak, and comfort the woman, one hand caressing each cheek, each wrist with the renewed scent, "JJ, honey, look at me." There was no change, "Jennifer!" Her eyes began to revert to their normal beauty, once again becoming that light blue hue that could only belong to Jennifer Jareau.

She looked over to the paramedic coldly, "You need to get away; I'm not risking her health for your ego."

As the brunette went to turn her attention back to her lover, she noticed just how many people were there, watching them as if it was the latest teen drama. It made her slightly mad, everyone and their mother watching her girlfriend, not really caring if she was okay, but it wasn't her greatest concern at the moment.

"Baby, come on, I'm drinking your really disgusting coffee, and we really need to finish shopping." She smiled at the irony of her statement; she loathed shopping. "Jennifer Jareau, if you don't get your ass coherent now, you're going to be on the couch for the next month."

Slowly, but surely, the woman began to reacquaint herself with her surroundings, and then speaking groggily, "Did you just say you drank my coffee? And that we needed to shop?"

With a bright smile, "That I did, babe, that I did."

"Em?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Are they gone?"

"Security office."

She let out a shaky, "Okay," one that the older woman wasn't even close to considering as the "I'm fine" she knew it was meant to construe.

As she enveloped the other woman in a hug, "No you're not, but I love you for trying."

A confused Garcia asked, "Am I the only one who realizes that that wasn't even close to making sense?"

Laughing lightly, the older agent pulled away from the hug, "Coffee?"

The blonde pouted, "You drank it."

"Barely, and plus, it's not like you're a stranger to my saliva."

"Only you would make 'swapping spit' sound elegant, Emily Prentiss."

"Thank you?"

She smirked behind the cup as she drank her much needed coffee, "You're very welcome…Anyway, is it just you and Garcia, or is the rest of the team here?"

"They're here, do you want me to get them?"

"Coffee first, then people."

"Sounds good."

After downing her much needed coffee, the press liaison moved to get up, but was stopped by her girlfriend, "JJ, don't get up."

"Why?"

A look of disbelief, "Because you just passed out?"

"Oh, whatever, I've walked away from worse."

"Yeah, exactly what put us here."

"Em…"

"I know, I'm being overprotective, but excuse me for being worried about you, it's kind of normal behavior for me."

The blonde raised a defiant eyebrow, "I can handle myself, Emily."

"I know you can, JJ, but it's the other people I worry about. You're well aware of what we see on a daily basis."

The annoyed woman finally looked at her girlfriend, really looked at her; she was guarded, very little emotion showed in her eyes. She wasn't Em, her fun-loving, geeky girlfriend; in that moment, she was Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss; daughter to Elizabeth Prentiss, the unmoved, and sometimes, cold FBI agent. Though, normally those two personas mixed; today the two concoctions were in completely different hemispheres.

She looked to the paramedic, "I'm okay now, no more medical attention needed." And then to her best friend, "Garcia, could you give us a second?"

With a nod, she motioned for the paramedic to leave with her, giving a soft smile to the press liaison.

Pulling the brunette into a hug, she whispered into her ear, "Em…I'm so sorry, I never think…it would kill me if we switched places, but I'm too stubborn to think of that when you need me to…when you need to see that I'm okay, not just me saying I am, but you making sure of that for yourself."

Tears were now streaming down her face, soaking the blonde's neck, "I…it's just that…God, JJ, I love you so much…I can't lose you."

She pulled out of the hug, one hand on the crying woman's shoulder, the other on her cheek, wiping away tears, "Emily, no matter what, you will never lose me. I don't care what you say; my heart will always be yours. Despite your hatred of all things shopping, not knowing what 'soccer stuff' is, and hating the Redskins; I love you with everything in me."

Laughing lightly, she pulled her blonde counterpart into a kiss, but not before whispering, "I don't hate them, I just like the Eagles better."

Once the brunette deemed her lover okay enough to walk to the car, she picked up the items the younger woman had been holding, carrying them to the check-out station, paying for the items, and left the store; satisfied with both her girlfriend's strength in the situation and their success in finding gifts.

The only thing that made her happier than Jennifer Jareau was the call she got the next day from Agent Hotchner telling her that the man that brought the dogs in the store was arrested for the illegal possession of a weapon, and the employee that allowed him in the store was arrested for aiding and abetting.

Actually, no, nothing in the world could make her happier than the love her blonde-haired, blue-eyed partner gave her.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr @ [kilyun.tumblr.com](http://kilyun.tumblr.com)
> 
> Find me on twitter @ [ki1yun](https://twitter.com/ki1yun)


End file.
